hemp

USDA issues hemp cultivation regs —at last

Posted on October 29th, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , .

cannabisHemp and hemp-derived CBD were officially legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, but the US Department of Agriculture has failed to bring its regulations into conformity with the new federal law—until now. Interim regs have just been issued by the USDA, with a 60-day public comment period to follow—meaning a final rule will likely be in place in time for next year's planting season.

Federal cannabis legalization in 2020?

capitolHaving cannabis removed from the federal list of controlled substances has long been the holy grail of legalization advocates. Several bills have now been introduced on Capitol Hill to do exactly that. Do any stand a chance of becoming law in the current polarized climate?

The cannabis patent dilemma

Shadow WatchAs the cannabis industry is embraced by corporate power and finance capital, the patenting of strains, products and applications is an increasing concern. But the international patchwork of legality makes for a confusing environment. Illegality has served as a paradoxical break on privatizing of varieties. Growers and advocates are devising means to protect the genetic commons in the new cannabis order.

The global state of cannabis legality

Planet WatchThere has been significant progress toward cannabis legalization in the United States and globally over the past years, but pockets persist of the most repressive and reactionary prohibition. What are the prospects for expanding cannabis freedom in the coming year?

Dilemmas of 'smokable hemp' —legal, oxymoron, or both?

Posted on September 27th, 2019 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , , , .

cannabisSo-called "smokable hemp" is suddenly available in shops from coast to coast, legal under terms of last year's Farm Bill. But law enforcement is consternated, conservative politicians are apoplectic, and legislation is being prepared to ban the stuff at the state level. Is this permissible under federal law?

Will Italy’s new government embrace cannabis legalization?

Posted on September 18th, 2019 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , , , .

ItalyWith the fall of Italy’s far-right government, advocates are hoping the path may be cleared now for the country to become Europe's first to formally legalize cannabis. Meanwhile, thanks to a loophole in the law, low-THC varieties are sold openly in shops across the country. And Italy’s internal THC limit is actually slightly higher than the ultra-cautious European Union standard.

Miami-Dade prosecutor is latest to halt minor cannabis prosecutions

Posted on August 15th, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , .

FloridaThe prosecutor for Miami-Dade County is the latest of several around the country to halt minor cannabis cases. The move was prompted by a dilemma vexing law enforcement nationwide: the inability to distinguish between THC and legal CBD in confiscated samples.

Cornell University gets USDA-backed industrial hemp seedbank

Posted on August 5th, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , .

cannabisThe US Department of Agriculture is opening an Industrial Hemp Germplasm Repository, in conjunction with upstate New York's Cornell University. The facility is envisioned as a major hub for genetic analysis and research, helping to spur the hemp industry's growth regionally and nationally.

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